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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24263224">Just an Old Fashion War Song</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Shadow/pseuds/The_Shadow'>The_Shadow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Deathly Hallows, F/M, Gratuitous French, Musically inspired, Porn with Feelings, gratuitous sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:00:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,954</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24263224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Shadow/pseuds/The_Shadow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Given enough time, Harry might even learn to forget about the horcurcxes and the snatchers and everything else that happened to him during the war. But he was certain that he would never, even if he lived to be as old as Dumbledore, ever forget about the time he spent with Pansy Parkinson.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ginny Weasley/Harry Potter-Mentioned, Harry Potter/Pansy Parkinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just an Old Fashion War Song</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry pulled his jacket tighter around him, shivering in the cold night air as he trudged through the unfamiliar countryside.</p><p>It had been the perfect end to the day he'd had. They-Ron, Hermione and he-had infiltrated the Ministry and successfully gotten the locket from the fat toad. It had all gone to hell after that. They'd been followed to Grimmauld Place and nearly been caught, only narrowly escaping when one of them, Hermione he guessed, apparated them away.</p><p>Wherever she was. Or Ron. When Harry had gotten a sense of his new surroundings, he found himself alone in a dark forest. He'd frantically searched for his friends, his calls punctuated by curses as he stumbled over roots or scraped himself against branches. It was only long after it was clear that they'd been separated that he'd finally given up.</p><p>Panting as he slumped against and slid down a tree, he tried to calm his panic. They weren't around. They might not even be together. In any event, looking for them wouldn't do him any good at the moment. He needed to look after himself and worry about finding them later.</p><p>His stomach growled. Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant.</p><p>Sighing, he pulled himself to his feet, hoisted his bag back over his shoulder and picked a direction hoping it was the right one and started walking.</p><p>His mind filled with thoughts as he walked. What if he never found Ron and Hermione? What if they were in danger? They might have even been captured. What if he was going in the wrong direction and couldn't find help? And even if he could, how would he find them? He supposed he could try apparating back to the Burrow, but who knew how far he'd gone and even if he could apparate that far. That and he didn't really fancy the thought of having to face Mrs. Weasley. Or worse, Ginny. It was these cheery thoughts that kept Harry company as he pushed himself forward through the forest in the failing light.</p><p>But luck was on his side, at least a little bit. His legs were just beginning to ache when Harry noticed the trees beginning to thin. He forced himself faster when he saw what he was afraid he would never see again- a village, dimly visible the starlight. There were people. At the very least, he wouldn't die alone in the wilderness.</p><p>The hill he climbed down was rocky and he nearly lost his footing more than once, but he made it to a dirt road at the base and followed it to the village.</p><p> </p><p>Harry paced outside the farmhouse he found at the edge of town. He was trying to decide if he dared knock on the door. It wasn't late, he didn't think. 9:30, maybe 10. But the lights were off. There didn't seem to be any lights on ahead close by, unlike Privet Dr. which could have been counted on to have lights well into the night. Not that anyone there would help a strange person knocking at the door.</p><p>If he knocked, he might get let in. On the other hand, he might get chased off and then where would he be? Shivering still, he decided he didn't dare. Lurking around the farm, careful not to attract the attention of any dog that might be around, he crept his way to the barn and thanked his lucky stars it was unlocked.</p><p>Disappointed to find nothing to eat, not even an apple, he found an unused pen and laid down in a relatively comfy patch of straw and did his best to fall asleep. His last thought before he drifted off was how he hoped Ron and Hermione were ok.</p><p> </p><p>In the haze of the morning, it took Harry some time before he realized he wasn't alone in the pen. When the combination of the animal smell and the straw poking into him finally did wake him up, he thought the breathing he heard was his own. Then he thought it belonged to one of the animals.</p><p>But the breathing was clearly human.</p><p>Harry scrunched his eyes, then rolled over.</p><p>“Look, I'm sorry. It was late and-”</p><p>The angry, pitchfork-wielding farmer he'd been expected was nowhere to be seen when he opened his eyes.</p><p>He looked around. Lying next to him on the other side of the hay was another person. He groped around the ground until he found his glasses. The girl curled up beside him looked to be about his age, with short, black hair and wrapped in a thick, heavy jacket. Had she been there when he had snuck in? Or had she come in after? And what was she doing there anyways? He was just about to sneak out before she woke up when she turned over.</p><p>Oh. Oh no.</p><p>Here he was, in the middle of Merlin knew where, in a barn, and he still somehow found himself sharing a pen with Pansy bleeding Parkinson.</p><p>Whoever was responsible for this joke, Harry sincerely hoped they were enjoying it.</p><p>With even more reason to beat a hasty retreat, he pushed himself to his feet, walked backwards and slipped on a patch of hay.</p><p>Either the crash itself or Harry's cursing woke the sleeping Slytherin and her eyes shot open. Upon seeing her pen mate, she rolled her eyes and groaned.</p><p>“Damn it, Potter. What are you doing here?”</p><p>“What am I doing here? I was here first! What are <em>you</em> doing here?” She didn't have to know that he wasn't sure that was true.</p><p>“You were not. And anyway-” Whatever nasty thing she was going to say was interrupted by the barking of the dog Harry was afraid was there the night before. As if one, they crouched down to hide, though there was no window nearby anyone could have seen them through.</p><p>“Truce?” Harry whispered.</p><p>“Truce.”</p><p>Harry motioned for Pansy to stay where she was as he crept over to a window on the other side of the barn. A large dog, almost as large as Padfoot had been, was running circles around a farmer who was making his way to the barn.</p><p>Harry waved Pansy over and she was beside him in a flash.</p><p>“What do we do?” she asked, peering out over the edge of the window. Both the dog and the farmer were getting closer.</p><p>“I'm going to try and distract him, while you make a run for it.”</p><p>“What about you?”</p><p>“I'm not going to have enough time to get out at the same time. Once you get around the barn, make some noise so I can get out. We'll meet at the road."</p><p>Pansy nodded and Harry waited for her to get in position before aiming for the dog with his wand. As soon as he was certain the farmer was distracted, he whispered, “<em>Avis anas</em>.”</p><p>A large duck appeared in front of the dog, sending it into a frenzy. Over the shouts of the man, Harry heard Pansy dash out the barn. Sparing one last glance at the commotion he'd caused, he sprinted over to the door himself.</p><p>He waited and for one terrible, desperate moment, he was afraid Pansy had abandoned him. Then the sound of an explosion reverberated from the opposite of the barn. Startled, Harry's cursing was drowned out by that of the farmer. Once he was sure the coast was clear, Harry ran.</p><p>Pansy was waiting for him already when he got to there, Merlin knew how.</p><p>“Took you long enough. Let's get out of here,” she said, running off without waiting to see if he was coming.</p><p>But for all her hurry, it was Pansy who gave out first, panting as she slumped against a tree. They'd hadn't made it far, no more than half a mile Harry guessed. Still, the farm had faded off into the distance and the fear of being caught now a distant memory.</p><p>Harry sat down beside her, grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath as well.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>Pansy held up her finger, slowing to long, deep breaths.</p><p>“Just out of practice. Give me a minute.”</p><p>She laid down in the grass under the cool shade of the tree as Harry took in his surroundings. The morning was still young enough that the morning dew soaked into his pants and a soft, cool breeze floated through the air.</p><p>The village he'd-they'd-wandered into was small but sprawling. In the light, Harry saw the houses that had looked close together the night before were actually far apart. <em>Good</em>, he thought. There was no chance of their unwitting host telling anyone about them if he did see them escaping.</p><p>They weren't in Britain anymore, though only the farmer's unfamiliar language was the only proof of that. Apart from that, it look like any one of the places the Hogwarts Express passed through on the way to Scotland.</p><p>“Where are we anyway?” he asked.</p><p>“France,” Pansy said. “Near Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.”</p><p>Harry nodded. He didn't know where that was, but it answered the question of who had apparated them. Hermione was the only one of them who had been to France. But did that mean she was nearby? Or had their haste flung them far across the continent?</p><p>Pansy sat up suddenly and looked at him curiously.</p><p>“Didn't you know?” Harry shook his head. “What are you doing out here anyway?”</p><p>“What are <em>doing</em> out here?”</p><p>“I asked first.” Her voice was haughty, but softening she said, “But if it'll get you to talk, I'm running, if you must know. Take my advice, don't break up with a Death Eater.”</p><p><em>Don't date one to begin with</em>, he thought about saying, but thought better of it.</p><p>“There. You know my sob story, now go on. Tell me yours.”</p><p>“I got separated from Ron and Hermione,” he said finally.</p><p>“Yeah, but why here? You're not running too, are you?”</p><p>“No, I'm not running.”</p><p>“I didn't think so. It's not your style. Besides, even you wouldn't run without know where you were going. Something to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named then.”</p><p>Harry stood up, with Pansy following suit. He started walking. She was getting dangerously close to the truth and part of him wondered of this wasn't some ploy from Voldemort or something. But, he reasoned, not even Voldemort's most convoluted plans involved sending the Slytherin broomstick to a barn in the middle of France to ask him questions. And bizarre as the whole affair was, it probably was just an unlikely coincidence.</p><p>“I'm right, aren't I?” She was grinning as she caught up with him. “The three of you've got some plan that you think will beat him, don't you?”</p><p>“Yes,” Harry said. There was no point in lying about it.</p><p>“What is it? Swear on my magic, I won't tell,” she continued when he didn't immediately answer.</p><p>He raised his eyebrow. A magical oath, simple but not one he could see her wriggling her way out of. Looking around, as if he thought someone might listening, he pulled the locket they'd gotten from Umbridge and handed it to her.</p><p>Pansy reached out, hesitating before she took it. She shuddered as she examined it.</p><p>“What is it?” she asked in a murmur.</p><p>“Swear on your magic you won't tell?” Harry asked.</p><p>Pansy gulped and nodded.</p><p>“I need your word.”</p><p>“I swear it,” she said.</p><p>“Do you know what a horcrux is?”</p><p>“I <em>think</em> so,” Pansy said, brow furrowing. “Something to do with death.”</p><p>“It keeps you from dying, in exchange for tearing out a piece of your soul.”</p><p>“And this...this is <em>his</em>?”</p><p>“Yes,” Harry said, almost enjoying the moment. “Well, one of them.”</p><p>Pansy stopped dead in her tracks.</p><p>“What do you mean, 'one of them'?”</p><p>“It's numerology. Vol-” Pansy cringed. “He thinks seven is an important number. So he made-”</p><p>“<em>Seven</em>?!”</p><p>“Six,” Harry corrected. “One is still inside him.”</p><p>Pansy thrust the locket back in to his hands.</p><p>“Put it away,” she ordered. “I don’t want to look at it anymore."</p><p>Harry dutifully shoved it back into his pocket.</p><p>They walked in silence for several minutes before Pansy said, “So, that’s it then. Your trying to find his horcruxes and destroy them? And then you’re going to kill him?”</p><p>“I’m going to try.” Harry didn’t meet her eye. It was something he didn’t like to dwell on. The thought-the reality-that he was going have to become a murderer to end this war.</p><p>Pansy whistled. “Damn, Harry, you picked a hell of a way to die.”</p><p>He glared at her.</p><p>“Thanks,” Harry grumbled.</p><p>“He’s taken over,” Pansy said with a shrug. “He won, we lost. The best you can do is try to make a life for yourself or leave before he decides you’re worth the bother to kill.”</p><p>There were quite a few things that Harry wanted to bite back with, but he settled on, “Well...that might work for you. I don’t know. Somehow I doubt Voldemort is going to let me live. So I might as well try killing him first.”</p><p>“I-” The faint, telltale crack of apparation interrupted her and the pair of them whirled around, wands out.</p><p>“It came from that way,” Pansy whispered, pointing with her wand. There was definitely someone coming.</p><p>Harry darted his head around. The only cover around was a boulder. It was barely enough to cover them, but with his invisibility cloak, they might just about make it.</p><p>“Come on,” he said, taking her hand and running with her to the boulder. Crouching down behind it her, he pulled his cloak with him from his bag.</p><p>“Is that-”</p><p>“An invisibility cloak? Yep. We’re going to have to get cozy.”</p><p>He threw it over them, but no matter how he stretched it, he couldn’t cover them both completely.</p><p>“Damn it!” The voices were getting closer. Harry threw the cloak over Pansy and hid as best he could behind the boulder.</p><p>“Does anybody know you’re here?” he whispered. He could see the figures coming now. There were three of them, coming down the road from the same direction they had.</p><p>“Only the people who sold me the portkey, but they wouldn’t come looking for me. You?”</p><p>Harry shook his head. “Ron and Hermione might be looking for me, but unless they can track me…”</p><p>“That shouldn’t be possible,” Pansy said. “Not through apparation. Who do think they are?”</p><p>“Could be anyone.” His tone didn’t even convince himself. “Maybe it’s a coincidence. I mean, what are the odds of us being the only wizards out here?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Pansy said, doubtfully. “But there isn’t a big wizarding population this side of the country.”</p><p>The figures were in view now. They looked shabby, the lot of them. Like the kind of people he’d seen that time he’d accidentally floo’d into Knockturn Alley. They were talking, bickering Harry thought, but he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. What he wouldn’t give for an extendable ear.</p><p>“I don’t recognize them,” Pansy whispered.</p><p>So they either weren’t Death Eaters, not anyone of the known ones. Or they were new recruits.</p><p>“Well, <em>somebody</em> said his name,” one of them said.</p><p>“I know that,” said another, “But they’re not here now. Let’s go back and tell them we couldn’t find them.”</p><p>“If we go back too quickly,” said the third, “they’ll know we didn’t really look. Now quit being an annoying, lazy berk and use the fucking spell.”</p><p>Grumbling, the wizard who had been complaining said something that sounded like, “<em>Appare vestigium</em>.”</p><p>He turned around in place and seemed to blow a ring of gold dust as he did.</p><p>“Shit!” Pansy said.</p><p>“What? What is it?”</p><p>“That’s tracking spell, Harry. A really rare and powerful one. Merlin knows how they know it. It’s going to show them where we were and it’ll lead them right here. Harry, we have to do something.”</p><p>Even now, shadows of him and Pansy, like the ones that had come out of Voldemort’s wand in the graveyard, were walking down the lane just as they had only a little while before. If Pansy was right, and he had no reason to doubt her, soon the shadows would turn around and run to the boulder.</p><p>“We’ll have charge them,” Harry said. “Try and take them by surprise. If we’re quick enough, we might have a chance.”</p><p>The air in front of him shimmered as Pansy nodded.</p><p>“On three then. One. Two. Three.”</p><p>Pansy threw the cloak off her and the two of them ran out from their hiding spot. Their timing had been off. The three men had turned to watch the shadows and already had their wands out when the two of them charged.</p><p>“<em>Stupefy</em>!” Harry’s spelled whizzed by one of the men, who missed it by diving left.</p><p>Pansy was none so merciful, aiming a bombarda hex at the feet of another. The wizard was blown back, apparently alive but badly injured. Cursing, the third fired back. Green light flew towards Pansy and Harry only just pulled her out of the way in time.</p><p>“Thanks,” she said with a gasp.</p><p>As one, they cursed the one Harry had missed, stunning him mid-wand wave.</p><p>The last remaining man fled.</p><p>“<em>Impedimenta</em>!” Pansy said, striding over to the fallen wizard and stunning him when he started to move again.</p><p>Then she collapsed. Harry rushed to her side. Kneeling, she was shaking.</p><p>“Pansy, what’s wrong?”</p><p>Gulping, it was a moment before she could answer.</p><p>“I’m fine. I’m...I’ll be alright. It’s...it’s just… I’ve never been in a real duel before.”</p><p>Harry put his arm around her and helped her to her feet.</p><p>“What do we do with them?” She asked.</p><p>“We’ve got to make sure they don’t tell anybody we’re here.”</p><p>The witch’s eyes widened.</p><p>“You’re not going to…”</p><p>Harry shook his head.</p><p>“We’re going to obliviate them. Have you ever done it?”</p><p>“No. No, never. Have you?”</p><p>“Once,” Harry admitted. “I’ll do it then.”</p><p>He tried to keep his own hands from shaking-he had, after all, only done it once and he didn’t really know how to do it-and concentrated on removing any hint of their presence. Pansy’s bombarda, quick thinking aside, was going to be the hardest thing to rewrite. Finally, he settled on a badger coming out of a whole and startling them. It was weak, he knew, but it was the best he could do.</p><p>“<em>Obliviate</em>,” he said, before doing the same to the second one.</p><p>He found Pansy kneeling over the last one, the one who’d been knocked back by her spell. She was waving her wand over him and whispering spells and Harry realized she was trying to heal him.</p><p>“There,” she said as she stood up. “I think that will do. I didn’t mean to hurt him, you know.”</p><p>She looked up at him, her expression pleading.</p><p>“I know,” Harry said, obliviating the last one. “Come on, we’d better get out of here before they wake up.</p><p>Taking one last look around as Harry grabbed his cloak, not really sure what they’d find, Harry and Pansy walked quickly down the lane.</p><p> </p><p>“But I still don’t understand how they followed us,” Pansy said for at least the fifth time that day. Harry had lost track of how many times the conversation had shifted back to the three wizards.</p><p>It had to do with saying Voldemort’s name. That much was certain. There had been a couple of near misses, but Harry had so far succeeded in switching to Tom- he refused to say something as ridiculous as “You-Know-Who” and if he had to refrain from using his name, at least Tom would insult the wizard.</p><p>Pansy looked over her shoulder, something both had periodically done as they walked down the lane, making sure they weren’t followed. Neither were really sure where they were going. Pansy had a better knowledge of France than Harry did, by default. But she was only really familiar where the major cities, only having passed through others on they way between them.</p><p>Harry ignored the question. There was nothing else to say on the matter.</p><p>The sun was high in the sky. As they walked, they’d snacked on what they could find. An apple here, a handful of berries from a bush there, but nothing remotely filling. He didn’t know about Pansy, but Harry was hoping they’d find a place they could get a real meal.</p><p>“Do you know if there’s a town nearby?” he asked hopefully.</p><p>“We must be. We’ve been walking for hours.” Pansy stomach growled, making her face blush. “You’re hungry, too?”</p><p>Harry’s own stomach by way of an answer.</p><p>“We need to take our minds off things. Let’s talk. About something besides the war, I mean,”</p><p>“What did you have in mind?”</p><p>Pansy shrugged. “Tell me something. Tell me a story. I don’t know. You were raised by muggles, right? When did you find out were a wizard? Do any good accidental magic?”</p><p>“Well,” Harry said, “I once locked my cousin in cage at zoo.”</p><p>Pansy choked and Harry’s grin deepened. He hadn’t thought about that day in years.</p><p>“Well, go on then. Tell me, tell me." So Harry told her that story. And in return, Pansy told him about her and Parvati accidentally charming teddy bears to follow them. Then Harry told her about ending up on the school roof. As conversation turned to other adventures, Harry wasn’t quite distracted enough to not notice his mounting hunger, but it was enough to keep him going until they finally started seeing signs of civilization again.</p><p>“I don’t suppose you have any muggle money, do you?” Pansy asked.</p><p>The scattered houses had become closer and closer together until they found themselves in a proper village. They didn’t meet many people as they went along their way, but judging by the direction they were going, he and Pansy were on the right track.</p><p>“No,” Harry said. “I haven’t used it in years, actually.”</p><p>“Damn. I don’t have any either. Well, I have another idea for getting us lunch, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”</p><p>“Why, what is it?”</p><p>After looking around to make sure no one was close enough to over here her, she took a deep breath and said, “We’re going to steal it.”</p><p>Harry cringed. So far, he and Ron and Hermione had avoided that, but it was another thing he knew they might have to face eventually.</p><p>“I know, I know,” she said. “I don’t like it either. But I can’t see any other way. We can’t apparate to Paris. I can’t go that far and you’ve never been there. And even if there is a wizarding settlement nearby, we have no idea how to find it. So unless you have any other ideas…”</p><p>Harry shook his head, wishing there was some other choice.</p><p>“Then start thinking about what you fancy to eat, then and follow my lead.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, what do you think?” Pansy asked.</p><p>Sitting on a bench pretending to be tourists, the two of them were staking out a cafe that Pansy had found, much to Harry’s dismay, near what must have been the busiest section of town. Even just watching it from a distance, Harry felt as if they were going to get caught every time someone glanced their way.</p><p>“I don’t know. It’s kind of crowded, isn’t it?”</p><p>“That’s what makes it perfect. There’s too much going on for anyone to take notice of us.” She gave him a curious look. “For all the sneaking around you’ve done over the years, how do you not know that?”</p><p>Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Pansy wasn’t paying attention. She took him by the hand and dragged him across the street with her.</p><p>For the possibly the first time that day, Harry was grateful for the Slytherin. Pansy could speak French, at least enough to get them the table. One out way enough that they could, maybe not go completely unnoticed, but not be the center of attention.</p><p>“What do you want to drink?” Pansy asked.</p><p>“Water.”</p><p>She shot him a look, but relayed the message back to waiter.</p><p>“Look,” she said, once they were alone again, “I know this goes against your morals, but you’re not going to be any less a thief if you only steal at little. You might as well enjoy it.”</p><p>“Is that your plan, then?” Harry ask, heat rising in his face and angry for reasons he couldn't place. “Things didn’t work out with Malfoy, so you’re going to set up shop in a new country?”</p><p>But if Harry expected her to argue, he was surprised.</p><p>“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. What else is there for me? Draco may not have been the one to actually kill Dumbledore-sorry, by the way-but he still has a lot of influence now.</p><p>“So I’ve run here and I’m going to enjoy myself and hope they don’t catch me.”</p><p>The anger melted away from Harry, leaving him feeling nothing short of pity for the girl.</p><p>“Is that all?”</p><p>Pansy looked out the window, not meeting his eye.</p><p>“Do you have any better ideas? ‘Cause honestly, I’d love to hear them.” When Harry didn’t answer, she said, “That’s what I thought. And what about you? What’s your plan?”</p><p>Harry was saved from answering when the waiter cam back with their drinks. Pansy had ordered a bottle of wine and was now ordering something Harry couldn’t even pronounce.</p><p>“What about you?” she asked.</p><p>“You order for me. Just...just nothing weird, ok?”</p><p>The edges of Pansy’s lips twitched and her eyes sparkled.</p><p>“You’re really going to trust me?” she teased. “Hmm. Well, I guess we’ll see if that was a good idea.”</p><p>Pansy ordered something, something different from what she had, Harry noticed. Maybe it was wasn’t a good idea after all. Leave it to him to end up in a country where no one spoke English. First thing he was going to do when he found Ron and Hermione, if he ever did, was ask Hermione to teach him a translation spell.</p><p>“So you were going to tell me your plan,” Pansy said, bringing him back to the present.</p><p>“Look for the horcruxes,” he said with a shrug.</p><p>“Yeah, but where?”</p><p>“We’ve destroyed one already. Ages ago. Before Dumbledore even knew V-”</p><p>“Don’t!” Pansy hissed.</p><p>“Before he knew he’d made any. Dumbledore took care on one. We’ve got another one. And we know what two others are.”</p><p>Pansy counted on her fingers. “That’s five. Didn’t you say there were six?”</p><p>“Something belonging to Ravenclaw. Dumbledore said Vol-he wouldn’t put pieces of his soul in any old piece of junk, would he? So he collected relics from the founders. Slytherin’s locket and his ring, and Hufflepuff’s cup. Dumbledore reckoned that he never got his hands on something from Gryffindor, so that leaves Ravenclaw.”</p><p>“But you have no idea what it is?” Harry shook his head. “And you have no idea where to find them?”</p><p>“Not exactly. Dumbledore thought he’d left them in places from his past. The orphanage he grew up in. Hogwarts, probably. We know he gave at least one to one of his Death Eaters. Your ex-father-in-law.”</p><p>“But where are you going to find them? I didn’t think much was known about him before he became He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”</p><p>Harry sighed. It had been a topic that had been nagging on his own mind.</p><p>He was saved from answering for a moment when the waiter came back with their food. Pansy, going with some sort of fish, had ordered him a steak. It smelled delicious and it looked safe enough.</p><p>After they’d thanked waiter, the cut off a small bit and took a tentative bite. Maybe it was the hunger, but he thought it might have been the best thing he’d ever tasted.</p><p>“Good choice, thanks. And I don’t know,” he admitted. “Dumbledore told me some of it. He knew him at Hogwarts. But he didn’t get the chance to tell me all of it.”</p><p>He hadn’t even told him how to destroy a horcrux, not that Harry was going to admit that to anyone, least of all her.</p><p>Why hadn’t Dumbledore told them? Or at least left a message for them somehow? He’d known he was dying. He knew Malfoy was trying to kill him. Did he really not have a back up plan in case something went wrong?</p><p>Pansy gave him a pitying look.</p><p>“Shut up,” he said.</p><p>“Sorry. But if it’s as hopeless as all that, why bother fighting? You could run away. Like me. Not with me obviously, I like being alive. But, you know, somewhere?”</p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p>Pansy nodded. “Figures you’d say that. Bloody Gryffindors with a death wish.”</p><p>“It’s not like that,” he said just a touch too quickly. “There’s a prophecy.”</p><p>Damn it. He hadn’t meant to blurt it out. Harry eyed his water suspiciously, wondering idly if she’d somehow managed to slip him some veritaserum.</p><p>But Pansy waved off his admission.</p><p>“Well, I knew that.”</p><p>Harry snapped up. “How?”</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t that hard to figure out, Harry? You fought him the Hall of Prophecies, didn’t you? Why else would either you even be there?”</p><p>Maybe it was pretty obvious in retrospect, but still...that was a pretty shrewd bit of reasoning, especially for a girl he’d always considered vapid at best.</p><p>“So what’s the prophecy say?” She asked. “That you’ll kill the Dark Lord in some glorious battle?”</p><p>“Not exactly. Just that I can defeat him. Or he can defeat me.”</p><p>“Bleh,” Pansy stuck out her tongue. “Well, that’s divination for you. Absolutely bloody useless, except for getting an easy ‘a’.”</p><p>Harry snorted.</p><p>“And you’re still risking your life on the basis of a chance? Yes, I suppose you would.” Pansy rested her head on her hand and smiled sadly at him. “That’s the kind of person you are.”</p><p>“Well, it’s not entirely noble. I do want to live, after all.”</p><p>Pansy giggled.</p><p>“Well, there’s that too.”</p><p>And the two of them finished there meal in easy silence.</p><p> </p><p>When the waiter came back with the check, Pansy had a long conversation with him. Harry felt a pit in his stomach as he watched Pansy’s face fall.</p><p>“Non, non. Merci beacoup. Oh!” Pansy shifted in her seat and knocked the table, Spilling what was left of her wine. Harry jumped back too late to save himself from getting wine spilled on his pants and nearly knocking himself over in the process.</p><p>“Pardon! Fait chier! Pardon!” Pansy said, helping the waiter mop things up.</p><p><a id="tw-target-text1" name="tw-target-text1"></a> “Ce n'est rien,” said the waiter.</p><p>Harry glared at Pansy, who gave a sly wink when the waiter wasn’t looking.</p><p>“Merci,” Pansy said, taking Harry’s hand again, leading him out of the cafe. Neither of them dared speak until they were two blocks away.</p><p>“I can’t believe that worked,” Harry said. “What did you do?”</p><p>“Confunded him.”</p><p>“So spilling wine on me was just, what? For fun?</p><p>“The distraction helps it stick. I didn’t mean to spill it on you. Sorry about that. I’ll take care of that as soon as we’re out of sight from the muggles.”</p><p>Harry waved her off. It wasn’t much and by the time they were alone he’d be dry anyway.</p><p>He looked back over his shoulder. The cafe was far out of sight.</p><p>“I just hope he doesn’t get in trouble over it.”</p><p>Pansy squeezed his hand. He hadn’t realized they were still holding hands.</p><p>“Me too,” she said.</p><p>“What we’re you saying to him before?”</p><p>“Oh.” She grimaced. “That.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I was trying to find a hostel. It’s a cheap hotel for students or backpackers. I was hoping there’d be one in town.”</p><p>“No such luck, I take it.”</p><p>“No such luck,” she confirmed. “He said there might be one in the next town over, but he couldn’t swear to it.”</p><p>“So we keep walking, then?”</p><p>“That or try and find someone who will put us up in the night. I’d really rather not sleep in a barn again, you know. Mind, we’ll still have to walk eventually.”</p><p>“Can’t you apparate?” Harry asked.</p><p>“Well, yeah,” Pansy said. “But I’m not that good. I could probably get to Paris if I was close enough, but I can’t do side-along yet. You’d be stranded.”</p><p>Harry raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t realized that was a consideration. But whatever motivation Pansy had for including him, she didn’t share it with him.</p><p>“Well,” she said with a sigh, “Let’s keep going. We’re bound to find something sooner or later.”</p><p>And so, still hand in hand, they went.</p><p> </p><p>“You never did tell me how you ended up in that barn,” Harry said.</p><p>They’d been walking for some time. It had been hours since they’d left the sight of the town behind them. Harry had struck up the conversation mostly to keep is mind off the fact that the daylight was failing. If they didn’t find something soon…</p><p>“That’s because it’s not much of a story. I broke up with Draco. Threats were made. I found about a portkey that was going to the continent. Ended up in France and wandered around until I found that bloody barn.”</p><p>“Hell of a coincidence of us ending up in the same barn.” Harry paused. “Wait, so you took a portkey without knowing where it was going?”</p><p>Pansy glanced away.</p><p>“It wasn’t exactly meant for me. There are a lot of people trying to leave Britain these days. So I got in with some people. Oh, don’t look at me like that! I didn’t steal some muggleborn’s portkey, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just lied about who I was. I didn’t even obliviate anyone.”</p><p>Harry snickered. Pansy rounded on him.</p><p>“What?” she demanded.</p><p>“Pansy,” he said he composed himself, “You said you paid for this. And you got a portkey to the middle of nowhere France. Did they even know you could speak French? Did you even disguise yourself? Pansy, they knew exactly who you were and dumped you here.”</p><p>Pansy opened her mouth, then closed it. Crossing her arms, she stalked forward, sulking until and refusing to speak or even acknowledge Harry’s poorly suppressed grin.</p><p>She didn’t say anything until they came to the top of a hill another mile or so on and saw house in the distance. Harry took out a pair of the Weasley’s extendable eyes and looked the place over. It look promising, providing the people inside would take pity on them. He hadn’t seen them yet, but the firelight crackling through the windows told him they were there.</p><p>“I want to see,” whined Pansy. Harry swatted her hand away. “Well at least tell me you’re looking at.”</p><p>“It’s big enough that they might have a spare room. I wouldn’t call it a barn, but there’s another building we could stay in, possibly, provided it’s not full.” Harry looked past the house. “There’s more lights way off in the distance. I don’t see anything really close, though. Nothing we could reach by night fall anyway. What do you think?”</p><p>“I say we try asking if they can put us up for the night in exchange for chores.”</p><p>“And if they say no?”</p><p>“Then we confound them into thinking they said yes.”</p><p>Harry took his eyes off and stared at her.</p><p>“What?” she asked.</p><p>“We aren’t confounding everybody we meet.”</p><p>“Fine. Then will use the tent you brought. Oh right.”</p><p>Harry rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Let’s just go.”</p><p>The two trudged down the lane to the house. As confident as Pansy had sounded before, they both hesitated at the door.</p><p>“Ready?” she asked. Harry swallowed and nodded.</p><p>The seconds after she knocked dragged forever, but they could hear the telltale shuffling inside, letting them know some was coming.</p><p><a id="tw-target-text5" name="tw-target-text5"></a> <em> “</em>Qui est là?<em>” </em>came a man’s voice through the door.</p><p><a id="tw-target-text2" name="tw-target-text2"></a><a id="tw-target-text4" name="tw-target-text4"></a> <em> “</em>Aidez nous s'il vous plaît,” said Pansy. “Nous sommes des étudiants d'Angleterre. Étaient perdus. Nous sommes prêts à travailler pour un endroit où dormir ce soir.”</p><p>Harry heard the man say something muffled to someone else in the room.</p><p><a id="tw-target-text8" name="tw-target-text8"></a> “Eh bien, laissez-les entrer!” said a woman.</p><p>The door opened, revealing an aging man.</p><p><a id="tw-target-text9" name="tw-target-text9"></a> “Entrez, entrez. Que faites-vous à cette heure de la nuit?”</p><p>Harry let go of the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as he followed Pansy into the warmth of the cottage.</p><p><a id="tw-target-text11" name="tw-target-text11"></a> “<span class="tlid-translation translation"><span class="">Nous venons juste du sud</span></span>,” said Pansy. “Nous pensions trouver une auberge. Je m'appelle Pansy. Voici Harry.”</p><p>“What are you saying?” Harry whispered.</p><p><a id="tw-target-text13" name="tw-target-text13"></a> “He asked what we’re doing out so late. I told him we were looking for a hostel, but we’re willing to work for a room.” To the couple, she said, “Harry ne peut pas parler français.”</p><p>Harry just smiled.</p><p>The lady chided her husband over something that Harry guessed was about his manners, because he and Pansy we’re ushered into the living room and shooed into a couch.</p><p>“Mais où sont tes affaires?” the man asked them as the woman returned and pressed mugs of coffee into their hands?</p><p>“Nos affaires? Nous les avons perdus. Je pense que quelqu'un a dû les prendre dans le train. Je suis juste content qu'ils n'aient pas pris nos papiers. Je vous en prie, où en sommes-nous?”</p><p>Harry whispered to Pansy, “Ask them if I can help while you’re chatting.”</p><p>He looked her in the eye, hoping she got the message, “Keep them talking so we can stay.” He didn’t know if they spoke any English. Pansy nodded.</p><p>“Pouvons-nous vous aider? Vous avez été si gentil avec nous.”</p><p>“Non non.” the woman said. "Asseoir. Vous êtes nos invités.”</p><p>Harry understood the gist of the words, if not all of it.</p><p>“Tell her we insist.”</p><p>“Mais vous devez nous laisser vous aider. S'il vous plaît. Nous nous sentirions terriblement si nous ne le faisions pas," Pansy translated.</p><p>Harry stood up before their could protest. He looked around a saw into the kitchen where there was a pile of dishes, less than half of Dudley’s share.</p><p>“Tell them I’ll do the washing,” he said, nodding at their hosts as Pansy relayed the message.</p><p>“Let me know if I can help,” Pansy said, but Harry waved her off. Even if she was being sincere, she needed to sell their story to the couple.</p><p>The work was easy, even without magic. After he’d finished the dishes, he wiped down the counters and swept the floor. Every so often the lady would come in and fuss over him, trying, Harry thought, to convince him to sit down.</p><p>When he was finally done, he went back and sat down next to Pansy. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.</p><p>“Put your arm around me,” she murmured. Harry obeyed and Pansy snuggled up closer to him</p><p>“Votre petit ami est très beau,” said the lady, seated across from them with by her husband. “Vous êtes ensemble depuis longtemps?”</p><p>“Deux ans,” Pansy said.</p><p>“What’s she saying?” Harry asked.</p><p>“She said you’re handsome. Don’t let it go to your head.”</p><p>“Anything interesting in the conversation?”</p><p>“They’re going to let us stay. So there’s good news. He’s asked us to help us with some chores in the morning, so no chance of a lie in, but maybe we can get a ride into the next town.”</p><p>Harry nodded. “Anything else”</p><p>“Just regaling Mr. and Mrs. Boucher with stories from Hogwarts. Heavily edited, of course.”</p><p>Pansy slid her arm around him and kissed his cheek.</p><p>“Just a little bit longer,” she whispered in his ear.</p><p>Pansy kept the conversation going, sometimes translating for Harry when they asked him a question, but mostly leaving him out of it. As time went on, she began to yawn and stretch, though if it was an act or genuine, Harry couldn’t tell. He was getting sleepy himself. They had walked a long ways.</p><p>After what had to be the several hours it felt like, they were lead to a spare room upstairs.</p><p>“Nous sommes trop vieux pour monter les escaliers, donc notre chambre est en bas,” said Mrs. Boucher. “Vous aurez beaucoup d'intimité.”</p><p>Pansy choked.</p><p>“What? What did she say.”</p><p>“She said she hoped we stayed warm tonight,” said Pansy, but her cheeks we’re tinged pink and she had become fascinated with the wallpaper.</p><p>There room was and well-kept, if small, with a twin bed in the center of the far wall.</p><p>“J'espère que vous serez à l'aise. Je vais laver tes vêtements demain. Faites-moi savoir si vous avez besoin de quelque chose ce soir. Bonne nuit!”</p><p>“Bonne nuit. Et merci.” Pansy said and Harry repeated her.</p><p>He side-eyed Pansy after the lady left, closing the door behind her.</p><p>“So...should we expand the room and conjure another bed?” He asked, as if he had any idea how to do that. “Or should we take turns on the floor?”</p><p>“No,” Pansy said, shaking her head. “No. She might check on us or wake up first. We’ll have to share.”</p><p>She unbuttoned her blouse, pulling it off in one clean motion. Harry didn’t realizing he was staring until Pansy snapped at him.</p><p>“You too. Don’t make a big thing of it.”</p><p>Harry turned around and pull off his shirt. He was pushing out his pants, when Pansy spoke.”</p><p>“Underwear too. She said was going to wash our clothes in the morning.”</p><p>Harry turned around without thinking and nearly fell over. There she was. Pansy Parkinson. Starkers.</p><p>Years ago, when he was in the Tri-Wizard tournament and the Slytherin’s were at their nastiest, Rita Skeeter had interviewed Pansy and called her “stunningly pretty”. At the time, Harry had laughed with Ron about how absurd that had been. But now it looked as if he was going to have to eat his words.</p><p>Pansy Parkinson was gorgeous. Pale all the way through, he couldn’t find a single flaw in her figure.</p><p>“I...er…” Harry stammered a his brain shut down at the night of the beautiful woman before him.</p><p>“What?” Pansy asked, crossing her arms, succeeding only in making her chest even more apparent. Had she done it on purpose?</p><p>“Nothing,” Harry said, trying and failing to recover. “Just...look, I don’t see why we can’t sleep in our underwear."</p><p>Pansy cringed, then rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m not sleeping in my bra and I’ve already slept in these knickers and will literally-literally-lose it if I have to wear them again without washing. So you can be gross if you want to be, but I’m sleeping like this, so you’d better get used to it.”</p><p>Hands on her hips, Pansy stared him down.</p><p>Harry blinked, casting his mind about, trying to decide what the least objectionable; being naked in bed with her or insisting on wearing clothes when she was naked.</p><p>This was stupid. He was being stupid. His clothes were dirty, to the point that even he was uncomfortable. And it wasn’t as if anything was going to happen. They were just sharing a bed because they had no other choice.</p><p>Trying hard to look dignified, Harry pushed his own boxers down. Pansy’s eyebrows raised.</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>The shadow of a smirk passed over her faced. “No, nothing to be ashamed of. Now if you’re done wasting time…”</p><p>She pushed past him and climbed into bed. Hesitating for only a moment longer, Harry followed her.</p><p>“If you’re sure you’ll be comfortable…”</p><p>“Please,” Pansy said, “Your virtue’s in more danger than mine.”</p><p>She rolled over to face him.</p><p>“That’s it, then, isn’t it? You’re worried about how you’re going to explain this to Ginny, aren’t you?”</p><p>Ginny.</p><p>“Not really,” he admitted to his own surprise. He thought of her often, but not since first getting stranded. That almost made him feel worse.</p><p>“Is everything alright between you?”</p><p>“I guess. We broke up, actually. But...you know.”</p><p>“Yeah, but did you actually break up, or did you break up for some stupidly noble reason? ‘Oh, it’s too dangerous.’?” His silence told her the answer.</p><p>Pansy shook her head. “Well, that’s not so bad for you. You’ll be able to pick back up after the war. You know, assuming you live.”</p><p>“Gee. Thanks.”</p><p>Pansy cupped his face in her hand, pulling it to look her in the eye.</p><p>“Look, for what little it’s worth, I’m glad we’re in this together.”</p><p>She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against him and once again resting her head on his shoulder.</p><p>“Pansy…”</p><p>“Don’t make a big thing of it,” she said again. “Just hold me.”</p><p>Harry took her in his arms and pulled her close to him. They held each other close as they drifted off to sleep.</p><p> </p><p><em>What do I do now</em>, Harry thought. It was quite a predicament he’d found himself. He woken up first to find they’d shifted in their sleep. They were still wrapped up in each other’s arms, but they were now a tangle of legs as well. And if he couldn’t calm himself down, so to speak, before Pansy woke up, then...well, it was going to be humiliating.</p><p>But no matter how he tried to extract himself from her embrace, some part of her skin was pressed against his own. The memory of the night before didn’t help matters. Pansy Parkinson in all her glory. He’d only seen her for a couple of minutes, but he wouldn’t have needed at pensieve to recall every last perfect inch of her.</p><p>Harry got, if possible, even harder. That line of thought wasn’t helping, But no matter how desperately tried to force his mind onto something, it always came wandering back to the present. Pansy would shift and her chest would brush against his or her leg would pull her closer.</p><p>Harry sighed and the decided to not, as she told him, worry about it. It was her fault after all. She was the one who all but insisted he sleep with her naked. She was the one who wanted to cuddle. If she didn’t like it, that would teach her.</p><p>He didn’t have to wait long for company. Just as the first signs of the brightening sky poured through their window, Pansy groaned, stretched and opened her eyes.</p><p>“Hey, you,” she said.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“What time is it?”</p><p>Harry shrugged. “Early. Sun’s not out yet.”</p><p>“Oh, good. We might a good lie in after all.” She cuddled up to him, managing to make herself even closer to him. “Oh!”</p><p>She smirked up at him, her eyes twinkling. “Good morning to you too.”</p><p>“Shut it,” Harry grumbled.</p><p>“What? It’s flattering. It’s nice to know I excite you.”</p><p>Harry pulled back, now that he didn’t have to worry about waking her.</p><p>Pansy made a show of pouting.</p><p>“You’re no fun. But if you’re sure.”</p><p>Pansy climbed out of bed and Harry instantly had second thoughts. He never given Pansy much thought at Hogwarts. She was always just an extension of Malfoy. But still…seeing her now? He still couldn't get over how gorgeous she was.</p><p>Harry hadn’t realized he’d been staring at her arse until she turned around and caught him at it.</p><p>“Well, it’s too late now, Harry,” she teased, grinning at him. “You had your chance. Pity.”</p><p>Harry did his best to not look sheepish. He’d let Malfoy rile him up enough over the years, he’d be damned if he let Pansy do the same.</p><p>“Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the view. Where are you going anyway? I thought you said you wanted a lie in.”</p><p>“I need the loo. And if you enjoy watching so much…”</p><p>She bent over to pick up his flannel shirt, giving a nice view of what he’d just turned down and damn near making him lose his mind.</p><p>Pansy pulled in on her and buttoned the bottom two buttons.</p><p>“That’s mine.”</p><p>“Bah. I’m not putting on all that just to walk down the hall. It’s big enough that it’ll cover me. You don’t mind, do you?”</p><p>She smiled at him with faux sweetness.</p><p>“Suit yourselves. It was Dudley’s.”</p><p>Pansy scrunched her nose up, though whether that was because he was a muggle or because he was Dudley, Harry didn’t know.</p><p>“Well,” she said, the haughtiness returning to her voice, “I’m sure you’ve washed it since then. I’ll be right back. Keep the bed warm for me and try not to miss me too much.”</p><p>Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes, if only to watch her walk away.</p><p>As soon as she was gone, Harry got up himself and pulled his jeans. He looked out the window, but didn’t really take in the scenery. His thoughts had returned to his problem.</p><p>He couldn’t wander around France for the rest of his life. Even he couldn’t find Ron and Hermione, he had to a way back to England and finish the job.</p><p>Of course, once he got there, he’d still have the trouble of finding out where the horcruxes were. If only Dumbledore had left them a clue.</p><p>No. This wasn’t the time for this. One problem at a time. Get back to England, then he could work on the horcruxes.</p><p>He was still staring absentmindedly out the window when she came back, only distantly aware of her until she hugged him from behind, nuzzling her cheek into his back.</p><p>“Sickle for your thoughts?”</p><p>He didn’t pull free from her embrace, but he did turn around to look down at her, into her eyes. Large, blue and so expressive. How had he never noticed?</p><p>“Just thinking about Ron and Hermione.”</p><p>“You didn’t have a meeting spot?”</p><p>Harry shook his head. “I didn’t even know it was possible to get separated during side-along apparation.”</p><p>“There are other ways to get separated, you know.”</p><p>“I know, I know. Just...we never thought about it, ok?”</p><p>“I know. But you’ll find them. I can feel it. For now, though…”</p><p>Pansy cupped his chin, pulling him closer to her as she stood on her tiptoes to meet him. They were…</p><p>Whatever it was, it wasn’t to be. There was a loud knocking on the door.</p><p>“Bonjour!” said Mrs. Boucher from the other side. “Êtes-vous décent? Le petit déjeuner est prêt.”</p><p>Pansy sighed.</p><p>“Girl can’t catch break these days,” she muttered, almost to herself. Over her shoulder, she called, “Un instant, s'il vous plaît.”</p><p>“Je laisserai tes vêtements devant ta porte. Laisse juste tes affaires sales sur le lit pour que je puisse les laver.”</p><p>“Merci! <span class="tlid-translation translation"> <span class="">Nous serons bientôt en bas.</span></span><em>” </em></p><p>Sighing again, she said, “And I so did want that lie in. Anyway, breakfast is ready so we’d better get going.”</p><p>“What about our clothes?”</p><p>“Well,” she said, smirking again, “as much as I’d like to see you walk down there starkers just to see what would happen, she said she left some clothes for outside for us.”</p><p>She pulled her-his-shirt off and tossed it to him. “Here, I’ll get the dirty stuffed gathered up, you get the clean clothes.”</p><p>Peaking his head to make sure no one was around, Harry grabbed the small pile of clothes the lady had left for them.</p><p>The clothes were simple, and button down shirt and trousers for Harry, a white blouse and overall skirt for Pansy. The changed quickly, and even Harry didn’t bother to turn around. What would be the point, at this point?</p><p>They had a hushed and hurried debate whether they should charm the clothes to fit a little bit better, with Pansy winning out and casting a few quick spells tightening things up.</p><p>“There,” Pansy said cheerfully, more than she had been since yesterday. “Now we just need to hope that this doesn’t count as magic in the presence of muggles.”</p><p>“You could have thought of that before,” Harry grumbled.</p><p>“I did think of that before. Oh, stop looking at me like that. You’ll be thanking when we’re done with the chores. Now, come on.”</p><p>Taking him by the hand, Pansy dragged him down the stairs to greet their hosts.</p><p>The breakfast they found waiting for them would have put any one of the Hogwarts feasts to shame, to the point that Harry half wondered if there was a house elf or two lurking around somewhere. It would certainly explain a few things.</p><p>Between the settings and the dishes, there was hardly an inch of space left visible on the table. Packed onto the table were all his favorites. Bacon and eggs, toast and sausage, potatoes and apples. There was even coffee, which Hogwarts never let the students had. McGonagall had once told Seamus that they were bad enough without caffeine.</p><p>Hoping he wasn’t drooling, he glanced to his side and met Pansy eyes. He was certain she was thinking the same thing. How could this possibly be real?</p><p>Pansy cleared her throat and smiled at the couple already seated with steaming mugs off coffee in front of them.</p><p>“Merci,” she said. “Tout est si beau. <span class="tlid-translation translation"><span>Mais c'est tellement.</span> <span class="">Vous auriez dû nous laisser vous aider.</span> <span class="">C'est vraiment trop mauvais de ta part.</span></span><em>” </em></p><p>“Un non-sens! Vous êtes invités. Si vous devez, vous pouvez aider avec les corvées après, mais vous aurez besoin d'un bon petit déjeuner pour cela. Asseyez-vous, asseyez-vous!”</p><p>“Merci,” Pansy said again, sitting down across from Harry.</p><p>“Merci,” Harry said too, hoping again that he’d guessed right in it’s meaning.</p><p>Nothing else was said for several minutes as he and Pansy ate as much as they could, without looking like pigs. Not that their hosts seemed to mind. Mrs. Boucher had a very Molly-eque flair for piling food on guests plates as soon as there was a free space. Pansy must have been handed half a dozen pieces of toasts and Harry felt he must have eaten a Dudley’s share of bacon before she was satisfied. By the end of the meal, Harry had forgotten that he’d ever been hungry in his life. The anti-Ron.</p><p>Finishing up the last of his coffee, Harry listened to Pansy talk with their hosts.</p><p>“What are they saying?” he whispered.</p><p>“They have some things they’d like to help us with. I’m going to clean in here and you’re going to help with the animals. And then Mr. Boucher is going to give us a ride into town.”</p><p>“What’s there?”</p><p>Pansy shook her head. “I don’t know. But it’s not here, so it’s something. Don’t worry about it so much. We’ll think of something.”</p><p>She leaned over and gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek.</p><p>Harry followed Mr. Boucher outside. Without Pansy to translate for them, it took them a bit to get on the same page, but they made it in the end. Mr. Boucher needed Harry’s help on the small farm the couple owned, mostly the heavy lifting. Harry started by hauling water, before moving on to the laying out the feed and chopping wood. It was nothing Harry had done before, but it wasn’t too bad.</p><p>Harry was taking a relative break. Mr. Boucher had shown him how to milk cows before going off to do something. Harry wasn’t sure what.</p><p>Pansy found him hard work, announcing herself by coming up behind him and rubbing his shoulders.</p><p>“How’s it going?” She asked, still massaging him.</p><p>“Not bad.” Merlin, that felt good. “What about you?”</p><p>“Oh, you know. Not so bad. Earning my daily galleon.”</p><p>The phrase made something click in Harry’s mind. Galleons. How had he’d been so stupid?</p><p>“Pansy, are you done? With your chores, that is?”</p><p>“Yeah. Why?”</p><p>“Up in our room. In my bag. There’s a galleon. Can you get it for me.”</p><p>“Wait until I’m done,” she teased, digging her thumbs into this shoulder blades. “But I’m sure we can work out a way for you to thank me.”</p><p>“No.” Harry looked around, making sure they were still alone. “It’s how I’m going to find Ron and Hermione.”</p><p>He hastily explained about the charm Hermione had put on the galleons and how they’d used them to communicate with the DA. After making him promise to tell her more later, Pansy left to go get the coin.</p><p>“Looks like you weren’t the only one who thought of it,” she said when she came back. She handed him the fake coin and Harry saw what she meant. On the galleon was the neat print of Hermione.</p><p>Harry, please answer.</p><p>After once again making sure they weren’t in danger of being caught, he scrawled a quick message back.</p><p>Hermione, I’m alright. What about you? Is Ron with you?</p><p>Through their short messages, Harry found out that they were still together and they were in France. Hermione could get them back to England, but only after they were together.</p><p>Harry heard the farmer coming and hastily pushed the galleon into Pansy hand. He went back to the milking, hoping he’d done enough.</p><p>When Mr. Boucher came back to inspect Harry’s work, he said something that Pansy told him meant that he was coming along nicely, but there was still more milking to be done. Harry smiled politely, trying to mask his impatience. He was so close to being out of the woods.</p><p>But there was nothing to be done for it now, and so he went back to work. Pansy chatted with him a moment longer before going off again.</p><p>It took less time than Harry thought, but more than he wanted for him to finish milking the cows. After storing the milk for the couple, Mr. Boucher, whistling a tune Harry didn’t recognize, took him back inside where Pansy and his wife were sitting in the living room.</p><p>“All finished?” She asked.</p><p>Harry shrugged. “I think so.”</p><p>He sat down on the couch next to her, letting her translate and confirm that they were in fact done and that they’d be leaving for the next down over just as as Mr. Boucher had had some coffee.</p><p>“I did a little digging,” she told him. “There’s no train station in the next town, but there’s one the town after that. He’s going to take us there and then we’ll have to walk to catch a train out. I pretended to be you and sent the plans on the coin. I hope you don’t mind.”</p><p>Harry shook his head, still not quite used to the concept of a helpful Pansy. Thankfully, the old man didn’t take his time on his coffee and time flew with Harry and Pansy taking turns in the shower and putting their now clean clothes back on.</p><p>“If you’re in such a hurry,” Pansy teased coming out of the bathroom, “we could have shared.”</p><p>Harry ignored her and the image water running down her body she’d implanted in his mind. Soon he was clean, back in his own clothes and loading their things in the back of the beat up old car they’d be riding in.</p><p>Harry didn’t pay much attention to the conversation that was happening around him. He was enjoying the countryside passing by. When this was all over-when Voldemort was dead (he refused to listen to Pansy cynicism)- he was going to come back and take sometime to explore.</p><p>Walking it like they had before would have taken them hours, and even then, only if they didn’t run out of energy after a second day of hoofing it. Driving it only took them no time at all. It was a good thing too. Harry didn’t see a single house on the way.</p><p>“Au revoir! Et merci beaucoup pour tout!” Pansy hugged the old man.</p><p>Harry shook his hand. “Merci.”</p><p>“Ce n'est rien. Bonne chance.”</p><p>After waving good bye, they waited until they were well out of earshot, before talking again.</p><p>“It’s too bad he couldn’t have taken us further,” Harry said as they walked through the streets. The town, whatever it was, was much smaller than the last one.</p><p>“Yeah. I think he would have, but he had some appointment or something. Anyway, it’s not far. Five, seven miles.”</p><p>“You want to stop for food before we go?”</p><p>“You can’t possibly be hungry.” Poking at his stomach, Pansy teased, “You wouldn’t look so handsome if you were fat.”</p><p>“I’m not.” He swatted her hands away. “I’m just thinking we might want to have something for when we get hungry later.”</p><p>“Hmm. Not a bad idea. Well, let’s go find something.”</p><p> </p><p>It had been easier committing their second theft, though Harry guessed that was in part because they got sandwiches to go and he wasn’t forced to face the person they were stealing from for too long.</p><p>Food tucked safely away in Harry’s bag, they walked as the town gave way to village.</p><p>They didn’t talk much, having said most of what they had to talk about already. Occasionally, Harry would make some comment about something he saw or Pansy would playfully nudge him, but mostly they walked in easy silence.</p><p>“We should stop here and eat,” Pansy announced. They’d found themselves a nice bit of shade under a small cove of trees.</p><p>“Sounds good to me.”</p><p>Maybe it was the cool breeze or maybe it was because they were so cut off from the rest of the world, but Harry was at ease.</p><p>They ate without hurry. Every moment here, Harry thought, was a moment he didn’t have to fret.</p><p>“What are you going to?” Pansy asked, apropos of nothing. They'd been leaning against each other as the ate. “After the war, I mean.”</p><p>“What, you don’t think I’m going to die anymore?”</p><p>“Don't be a prat.”</p><p>Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. I used to think being an auror would be cool. Or a quidditch player. But after all this...I think I just want some peace and quiet, you know? Maybe I’ll disappear for awhile.”</p><p>Pansy nodded.</p><p>“What about you?” he asked.</p><p>“I’m trying not to make plans,” she said with a sigh. “Can’t be disappointed when things fall through if you don’t have any expectations, can you?</p><p>“Getting away from things for a while sounds nice, though.” She shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe when things are all over, I’ll go back to England. But I’m not really missing it. Stupid, bloody Voldemort.”</p><p>Her eyes went wide when she realized what she’d said. She looked at Harry, gaping.</p><p>“Come on, we’ve got to hide,” he hissed, dragging her back with him into the trees. He was just finishing disillusioning the two of them when the telltale crack of apparition broke the silence. On the road in front, three wizards, the three from earlier.</p><p>“Again?!” The leader said at the same time Harry thought it. Who were they and why did they keep showing up?</p><p>“Who keeps breaking the taboo in fucking France?”</p><p>So the memory charm hadn’t taken, Harry thought. He was afraid of that.</p><p>“We’re going to have to fight them,” he said, his voice grave. “For real.”</p><p>He looked over at her. She nodded. She’d gotten his meaning. They were going to have to make sure they weren’t coming back.</p><p>Pansy gulped. Even Harry had to stiffen his resolve.</p><p>You knew it was going to come to this, sooner or later.</p><p>“Do you have a plan?” she asked.</p><p>“Yeah. Rushing them’s not going to work again.” It had barely worked the first time. “We need to be sneaky. You take one side, I’ll take the other. Hopefully we can take out two of them before they notice. Then it’ll be two on one.”</p><p>“Just be careful.”</p><p>They had to move slowly. Even if they didn’t see the slight shimmer of their movement, and they probably couldn’t at that distance unless they were really paying attention, the wizards could certainly hear and they hadn’t exactly picked a quiet place to hide. More than once, Harry stopped dead in his tracks when one of them happened to look his way, only moving again when he looked the other way.</p><p>Every so often, he’d spare a glance back to see how Pansy was doing. Most of the time, he couldn’t make her out at all, but sometimes he’d catch a glimpse of her moving when the sun hit just right.</p><p>He was in position now, on the far end of them. He waited, scanning to see where Pansy was. They hadn’t set a signal for when to attack. That was another thing he was going to have to start thinking about.</p><p>Sweat rolled down his forehead. He couldn’t stand there forever. They’d find them eventually. They’d do that gold dust spell Pansy had told them about. Come to that, why hadn’t they done it already.</p><p>That thought had just come to his mind when the leader said to his companions, “Ready?”</p><p>“Ready.”</p><p><em> “</em><em>Homenum</em> <em>revelio</em><em>!”</em></p><p>Harry looked down at himself. He was visible again. Across the field, he could see Pansy. It had been a trap. Somehow, they’d known they were there the whole time.</p><p>“Get ‘em! Don’t let ‘em get away this time!”</p><p><em> “</em><em>Bombarda</em><em>!” </em>Harry yelled. It had worked so well the last time. But this time, the Death Eaters were ready for it. They dodged out of the way.</p><p>One of them shouted, <em>“</em><em>Incarcerous</em><em>!” </em>It missed Harry’s torso but hit his legs, binding them together and making him fall to the ground. He’d only just done the counter curse when one of them was standing over him.</p><p>The wizard pointed his wand at Harry, but Harry was quicker.</p><p><em> “</em><em>Sectumsempra</em>!<em>” </em></p><p>Blood gushed from the wizard’s chest. Harry stunned him.</p><p>Pansy was fighting the other two, holding her own, by blocking every spell they threw out her. But between the two of them, she couldn’t fight back.</p><p>Harry stunned one of them, but the second was too quick for him and he found himself flung backwards by the force of the wizard’s spell.</p><p>“Harry!” Pansy cried.</p><p>Shaken, Harry managed to push himself up. His glasses had be thrown off somewhere. He could just make out one blur cursing the other and the other falling to the ground.</p><p>Miraculously, he’d managed to keep hold of his wand.</p><p><em> “</em><em>Accio </em> glasses.” They flew into his hand. He put them on as he climbed to his feet.</p><p>Pansy was running to him. Thank Merlin. She’d won the duel.</p><p>Still dizzy, Harry was nearly knocked back off his feet again by the strength of Pansy’s hug.</p><p>“You’re ok!”</p><p>“Assuming don’t squeeze me to death,” he said, hugging her back.</p><p>He would never know quite how it happened. One minute, they were panting from the fight staring at each other in relief that they’d won, the next minute their lips had met.</p><p>It had begun as raw emotion. An outlet for everything they were feeling. But as it continued, the kiss deepened and there was something else there. Hunger? Lust? Affection?</p><p>Pansy was the first to pull back.</p><p>“As I much as I want this,” she said, “and I do, this isn’t exactly the most romantic spot for it.</p><p>“Besides,” she jerked her head towards the fallen wizards, “we should probably do something about them.”</p><p>They had to debate long and hard before they could come to an agreement as to what to do with them. Pansy, vindictive, wanted to leave them there to be found or, better yet, drag them off into the wilderness and let whatever was out there have them. Harry would have been lying if he said the idea wasn’t tempting. But he couldn’t, not while they were stunned.</p><p>Trying to oblivate them again was out of the question. They’d tried before and there was no reason to expect it would work this time. They would snap their wands. They both agreed they should have done so before.</p><p>In the end, it was Pansy who came up with the solution. They would transfigure them into animals. Frogs ,they’d agreed upon. With enough time, they might be able to turn themselves back, but without their wands, it would be difficult and Harry and Pansy would be long gone. It was a good compromise, Harry thought, between killing them and leaving them there.</p><p>“I’m almost hope they get eaten.”</p><p>They were finishing up tending to the one Harry had cursed first. Stunning him had stopped the bleeding before it gotten too bad, but only time would tell how well he’d recover. Harry guessed he’d be out of commission for awhile.</p><p>Pansy had insisted on them being conscious when they snapped wands and so after they’d given them their new amphibian bodies, Harry cast renervate on them.</p><p>Pansy snapped them wands one by one, throwing the peaces at the frogs. They fled, although whether that was become they understood what was happening or because their frog minds were scared wasn’t clear.</p><p>“You’d better run,” Pansy said. “Get out of here before I conjure a bird to eat you!”</p><p>Harry put his arm around her, squeezing her and calming her down.</p><p>“Let’s go,” she said. “We can’t be far and it’s getting late.”</p><p> </p><p>They arrived into town an hour later, the sun descending but still high in the sky. It didn’t take them long to find the train station.</p><p>“This one’s going to be trickier,” Pansy whispered to them. They we’re standing in line waiting to get their tickets.</p><p>The station wasn’t busy. Harry looked around until he found a large clock telling him it was after 7. Most people we’re probably already home. But that didn’t mean there weren’t other people around. People passed them by, on their way and from train or another.</p><p>Their one saving grace was that they were last in line.</p><p>Pansy took his hand.</p><p>“Be ready. I’ll squeeze your hand when it’s time to distract her."</p><p>Pansy talked with girl selling the tickets, asking her questions from the sound of it. Harry wasn’t paying attention, busying himself trying to come up with a distraction.</p><p>When Pansy squeezed his hand he cried out in pain, pretending his knee had given out.</p><p>He waved off the clerks cries, guessing she was asking him if he was alright.</p><p>“Just an old football accident,” he said. Pansy translated for him, taking the tickets and helping him to his feet.</p><p>Kissing him on the cheek, she whispered in his ear, “Nice work.”</p><p>They walked down the station, following the clerk’s directions.</p><p>“What did she say?” Harry asked as they looked for their train.</p><p>“Oh. That. Bit of bad news, I’m afraid. This train doesn’t take you all the way to where you need to go. And one that will won’t arrive until tomorrow morning.”</p><p>“So we’ll have to find some place to stay tonight.” That wasn’t so bad. They’d made it this far after all.</p><p>“Yes, but…” Pansy’s eyes twinkled as she looked up at him, smiling wide. “She did say the train wasn’t full yet. So we might be able to find a compartment all to ourselves.”</p><p>Harry grinned. “We’d better hurry, then.”</p><p>Walking faster, they found their train. Harry mentally urged the conductor to hurry up with checking their tickets and let them get on board.</p><p>True to the clerk’s words, the train wasn’t very full, but most of the compartments had at least one person in them. Harry and Pansy passed them all by, making it nearly to the end of the car before finding one to themselves.</p><p>“Get the windows,” Pansy said. “I’ll get the door.”</p><p>Harry wasted no time closing the curtains on the windows, checking them to make sure they weren’t about to fly open. If he had anything to say about it, they wouldn’t want anyone catching a glimpse of them as they passed.</p><p>No sooner had Pansy closed the blinds and locked the door than Harry was on her. He couldn’t wait, pulling her arms up and pushing her against the door.</p><p>She smirked as she wriggled her arms free from his grasp and wrapped them around his neck.</p><p>“What are you waiting for?”</p><p>But when he leaned in, she pull backed. He tried again, only for her to pull back once more.</p><p>Harry glared. Pansy quirked her eyebrows, daring him to say anything.</p><p>Smirking himself for a change, Harry gave into his flash of inspiration and struck the stuck up witch hard on her arse. The cry she let out was half-surprise and half-pleasure.</p><p>“Stop being so difficult,” Harry growled, his hand running up her back to her head, holding her in place.</p><p>“Just wanted to make sure you really wanted me.”</p><p>Their lips met and if Harry expected his mind to go blank like it did with Ginny, he was surprised. Quite the contrary, it was as if he was aware of everything at once. The heaving of her chest against his, the softness of her lips, the intoxicating scent of her. A cacophony that threatened to drive him mad as his racing mind struggled to keep in the moment.</p><p>He came back into focus when the witch in his arms jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. Harry staggered, managing to keep his balance. Taking the excuse to grab her arse again, he carried her over to seat and let her pull him down with her.</p><p>They jockeyed for position, nearly falling off the seat more than once, before they ended sitting up, Pansy straddling him.</p><p>Pansy moaned as Harry buried his face her neck, kissing his way down until her bloody blouse got in the way.</p><p>“Does this really need to be on?” Harry asked.</p><p>“Uh uh,” Pansy said, shaking her head.</p><p>Harry started unbuttoning her blouse, but impatience overtook him and he just pulled it off her, flinging it off across the compartment.</p><p>Whatever Pansy opened her mouth to say died on her lips and turned into a moan when Harry bit down into her shoulder.</p><p>Reveling in having the upper hand for a change, Harry kissed down her chest to her stomach, taking his time on her breasts and punctuating them with the occasional bite.</p><p>Pansy squirmed as he teased her spine with his fingers and gasped when he slid his hand past her jeans and her knickers, kneading her soft flesh.</p><p>She whined when he moved his hands back towards her shoulders.</p><p>“Be patient,” he murmured into her stomach.</p><p>His kisses trailed his hands, stopping when he reached her bra. That definitely needed to go. Harry thanked Merlin and anyone else who was listening that he was able to unhook it in one clean movement. He had the brief flash of bragging about that one day to Dean and Seamus. Not that he was ever going to tell them about this. Not that they’d even believe him even if he did.</p><p>Pansy pulled back, a coy gleam in her eye as held her bra in place with one hand, sliding the straps off her shoulders with the other.</p><p>“Oh, is that what you want? Hmm…” She put her finger to her cheek, pretending to think it over. “Ooh!”</p><p>Harry pulled her back into his arms, burying his face in her neck and reveling in the feeling of her against him. Why had he resisted that morning? Gasping, Pansy’s hands groped for his head, curling her fingers into his hair. And with her too busy to stop him, Harry pulled that bra and threw it as far away as he could.</p><p>He kissed his way back down to her breasts, biting each one of her nipples in turn. Pansy shrieked with pleasure, her hips moving against him.</p><p>“Get up,” Harry said.</p><p>“Wh-”</p><p>“Get. up.”</p><p>Pansy stood. Harry turned her around and pulled her into his lap. Running his hands up her to cup her tits, Harry kissed the back of her neck.</p><p>“We don’t have time to play forever,” Pansy said, her breaths short and her voice husky.</p><p>“We have all the time in the world,” Harry said. “Be patient.”</p><p>He kissed his way down her spine, making her shiver as the arched her back forward to give him room.</p><p>“Please,” she begged.</p><p>“Please what?”</p><p>“Please don’t tease, me Harry. Just…”</p><p>“Say it,” he ordered.</p><p>“Just fuck me!”</p><p>“Well…since you asked so nicely…”</p><p>He slid his hands slowly back down her jeans. He teased her, pretending to fumble with button and zipper, until she dug her nails into his leg.</p><p>“Just. Fuck me.”</p><p>When he slipped his hand over her knickers, he found them positively sopping. If he teased her again, though, he was reasonably certain she’d lose her mind and force herself on him.</p><p>And he did so love being in control of her.</p><p>Gently running his fingers over her slit through the thin fabric, Harry held the squirming girl whining on top of him in place as pressing her further and further into her. He finally slipped past her knickers, driving inside her. Pansy shrieked and squeezed against his two fingers, her warm wet flesh engulfing him.</p><p>Harry twisted his fingers, rubbing and exploring, looking for the spots that got the best reaction.</p><p>“Right there,” Pansy gasped out. “Right there, just like that. And don’t you dare stop.”</p><p>Well, Harry thought, with an order like that, what else can I do?</p><p>He stopped, pulling his fingers back just enough that he wasn’t touching her where she wanted.</p><p>Pansy’s glare could have petrified a basilisk as she shifted to try and get him back in position. But not for nothing was Harry the youngest seeker in a century and he kept just out reach.</p><p>When she’d finally had enough, Pansy clutched his face digging her nails in again as she looked him in the eyes.</p><p>“Harry. Love. If you have any plans on getting off tonight, you’re going to stop teasing me. Do y-”</p><p>Her mouth left hanging open as he attacked her with his fingers again.</p><p>“Perfectly.”</p><p>Silently gasping, Pansy could only nod. Taking the invitation of an open mouth, Harry kissed her. Their mouths moved fast, hungry.</p><p>Harry slipped a third finger inside her, then a fourth. Pansy’s cunt stretched to fit him. She was moaning into his mouth and in the brief breaks for air, Harry could see her hand desperately clutching at the seat, trying to find something to brace herself with.</p><p>“Close?” Harry whispered in her ear.</p><p>Eyes clenched shut, Pansy could only nod.</p><p>“Just let go.”</p><p>He didn’t have to tell her twice. Almost as soon as the words left his lips, Pansy’s whole body seized up and she shuddered.</p><p>Harry slipped himself out of her, holding the panting girl tight as she caught her breath.</p><p>“So, you enjoyed yourself?” he asked, knowing how obvious he was being.</p><p>Pansy giggled, then stared him dead in the eye.</p><p>“Well… let me put it like this…” She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Make me feel like that again and you can do anything you want to my body.”</p><p>“Anything?” Harry tried to sound confident.</p><p>“You heard me.” She pulled back to stare at him again. “Come on. Let’s go again. For real this time.”</p><p>Her hand was running down his chest, the tips of her fingertips nearly at his jeans, when there was a knocking at the compartment door.</p><p>They made a silent pact to say nothing, hoping whoever it was would leave them alone. The knocking just continued.</p><p>Someone said something in French Harry couldn’t understand, causing Pansy to sigh and groan.</p><p>“Un instant, s'il vous plaît.”</p><p>In flurry of activity, the two of them threw their clothes on and did their best to look like they hadn’t just been trying to shag before opening the door to a grumpy train attendant and a young couple, a little older than they were.</p><p>As near as Harry could figured out, the train had stopped and picked up more passengers along the way. Harry hadn't noticed. It was full and they would have to share. Even if that wasn’t true, the end result was the same and he found himself snuggled up to the girl he’d come so close to shagging, listening her chat to the cock blockers in a language he didn’t even understand. And he’d have to put up with this bollocks for hours.</p><p>Harry sulked, fantasizing about what he would do if they weren’t there or, better still, if he could get them to leave. Throw Pansy on the floor, ripping her blouse off her.</p><p>Pansy took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. He looked down to see her smiling up at him and melted. She gave him quick peck on the cheek, eliciting coos from the couple across from them.</p><p>Harry gave her a peck on her lips, before leaning back and closing his eyes. He drifted of to sleep to sounds of whatever the conversation was about.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nudged him awake.</p><p>“Come on slug-a-bed,” she teased. “We’re here and I’m not carrying you.”</p><p>Harry yawned and stretched. “You’re just jealous. It’s not my fault that decided to talk instead.”</p><p>He stood up and looked around. The couple had already left.</p><p>“You should be thanking me. I found a hostel for us. Unless you wanted to find another barn to sleep in.” She put on airs, saying, “I suppose it’s not your fault, growing up in Gryffindor.”</p><p>“Better than sleeping with snakes.”</p><p>“Present company excluded, I hope.”</p><p>Harry’s mind flashed back to the naked form of Pansy Parkinson.</p><p>“I think I can make an exception.”</p><p>“Oh, good.” She rolled her eyes. “Now let’s go. I don’t want to get stuck on this train.”</p><p>Taking his hand, Pansy led him out. Harry followed, allow himself to be dragged out onto the street.</p><p>“You know where we’re going?” He asked.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>They walked through the streets, occasionally making a nuisance of themselves as they had to shuffle to side to avoid running into people. It would have been simpler to let go of each others hands, but neither of them were willing to stop.</p><p>Taking a leisurely pace, Harry took in the sights. It was a nice town, one that almost reminded him of Hogsmede. Another place to revisit someday.</p><p>They eventually stopped at outside a dingy looking building. He looked at Pansy, whose nose was wrinkling at the sight of it.</p><p>“Well, it’s better than a barn.” She looked at him. “I’ll do the talking. Try and distract them so I can confund them. Unless you want to do it.”</p><p>“How do you it?” He didn’t like the idea, but over the last couple of days, he’d gotten the idea it was a spell worth learning.</p><p>“Say confundus and concentrate on what you want them to believe she said.”</p><p>So like Obliviate. They hadn’t had much luck with that one. But so far there hadn’t been any problem with the Confundus charm, at least not that they’d known.</p><p>“Let me try it,” Harry said.</p><p>“Alright. Same signal.”</p><p>They walk in, Pansy leading hi straight to the clerk.</p><p>“Bonjour. Comment puis-je vous aider?”</p><p>“Bonjour. Nous aimons une chambre. Un privé, si vous en avez un.”</p><p>“Nous le faisons, mais cela coûtera plus cher.”</p><p>“C'est très bon. Combien?”</p><p>“₣34.38, s 'il vous plaît.”</p><p>“Bien sûr.”</p><p>Pansy squeezed Harry’s hand, before letting go. Grabbing her purse, she made a show of fumbling with it before spilling it all over the desk.</p><p>“Je suis vraiment désolé!”</p><p>Harry cast the spell while the unwitting clerk helped Pansy gather up her things.</p><p>“Très bien,” he said. Apparently it had worked, because he handed Pansy a pair of keys. “Voici vos clés. Votre chambre est à gauche. Il y a une salle de bain avec douche dans le couloir. Merci de nous indiquer si vous avez besoin de quoi que ce soit.”</p><p>“Nous le ferons, merci.”</p><p>Leaving him behind, they found their room.</p><p>It wasn’t very big, about the size of Dudley’s old room that Harry had been given. It was sparse, furnished with only a small bed and a chair. There wasn’t even a table, just a nightstand.</p><p>“It’s small,” Harry said.</p><p>“We’ll have enough room. As long as you’re on top. Or I’m top. I’m really not picky."</p><p>Grinning, Harry turned her around, pinning her between him and the door. Pansy let out a sound that was something between a gasp and a giggle when he kissed her neck.</p><p>“You know, you’re taking an awful lot of time for someone who got interrupted before he could get off. Maybe you don’t want me after all.” She put on airs, even as she grinded her body against his. “I should just get some sleep. Ooh!”</p><p>Harry spun her around, pushing her back against the door.</p><p>“So what do you want, then? You want me to tear your clothes of and throw you on the bed?”</p><p>“I’ve had worse offers.” Still grinning, she snapped her teeth at him. “Just quit wasting time. Spoiled, pureblood princess, remember? I’m not used to being kept waiting.</p><p>A dozen retorts came to mind, but Harry let them all go. Pulling her to he said, “You’ll get it when I’m good and ready,” shutting her up with a kiss.</p><p>Refusing to pull away, it was a miracle they made it to the bed without falling on top each other as Harry peeled off the witch’s clothes piece by piece. The memory of her bending over that morning flashing through his head, he’d flung her things in different directions, as far as the room would allow, hoping for a repeat later. By the time he shoved her on to bed, she was down to her knickers and socks.</p><p>He’d taken off his own shirt and was stepping towards her when she said, “Wait, give me your wand!”</p><p>Not exactly what he’d had in mind just yet, but he obeyed and started on his belt.</p><p>Pansy rolled her eyes at him.</p><p>“Not that, you prat. Your wand.”</p><p>Harry was confused, but did as he was told. Instead of taking it when he held it out for her, however, she took his wrist and motioned it between her legs as she muttered a spell Harry didn’t recognize.</p><p>“There. Now we don’t have to worry about any little Potters running around. Now,” she ran her foot down Harry’s chest, “I believe there was another wand you wanted to give me.”</p><p>“Later.”</p><p>Harry took her by the ankles and pulled her to the edge of the bed.</p><p>“What are you planning?”</p><p>Harry ignored her, slipping her panties off and throwing them to the side. He did the same to he socks, taking a moment to admire the beautiful, naked witch before him.</p><p>He kissed one ankle, then the other, slowly creeping his up her legs, careful not to neglect either. When got to her thighs, he gave each a gentle bite in turn.</p><p>Pansy moaned, opening her legs up wider to give him more room. Harry lingered over her cunt, his mouth inches away, teasing her with his closeness.</p><p>“Please…” Pansy pleaded.</p><p>Slowly, deliberately, Harry ran his tongue up the slit of her pussy, making her squirm. Harry felt her fingers curl up in his hair, holding him in place. A moment later, she wrapped her legs around the back of his neck. She wasn’t taking any chance on him tormenting her again.</p><p>Not that Harry planned to. Now more confident, he continued his work on her, pushing deeper and deeper into her with each stroke. Near the top of her cunt, he found a spot that, if he flicked it just right, made her buck involuntarily. Sometimes he’d hit it three times in quick succession, sometimes he miss it entirely. Pansy would push on his head whenever he did.</p><p>But no matter what he did, Pansy was dead silent.</p><p>He looked up.</p><p>“I feel like I’m missing something.”</p><p>Eyes scrunched tight, Pansy shook her head.</p><p>“You’re doing brilliant. I’m just...really, really trying to concentrate.”</p><p>Well, that was no good. And just like that, Harry had a new goal: make Pansy Parkinson scream.</p><p>He changed his rhythm, sometimes stopping entirely before attacking her again. Her breathing hitched. He was getting to her.</p><p>After pushing his tongue as far into her as he could failed to get the reaction he wanted, he moved back up to her spot up top. Zeroing on her spot as much as he could, he sucked. Sometimes hard and fast, sometimes slow and gentle, sometimes some other combination. He smirked around her as his ministrations made her tighten her grip on him.</p><p>A sudden inspiration hit him and he started humming some distantly remembered tune. It didn’t matter, only the vibrations running through her.</p><p>Pansy voice cracked. Nearly there .</p><p>Gripping her arse, kneading it, Harry kept at her, switching between techniques and speeds. Pansy was panting, squirming. Harry didn’t let up.</p><p>He was in the middle of humming, when Pansy finally let go, shrieking as she came.</p><p>Harry didn’t give her time to come down. Immediately, he climbed on to the bed, kissing his way up her body.</p><p>“Wait!” she said between breaths, still dazed. “I really don’t think it’s fair that I’m the only one naked.”</p><p>Never taking her eyes off her, Harry stood up, taking pushing down the rest of his clothes.</p><p>“Excellent. Now,” she pointed to a spot just below her chest, “I think you were about here.”</p><p>Picking up where he’d left off, Harry took her by the wrists, pulling the up with him. By the time they were face to face, he had them pinned above her head.</p><p>“There’s. That’s the perfect position for you.”</p><p>Pansy giggled and played at trying to break free from his grasp.</p><p>“None of that,” he said.</p><p>“Are you sure? I’m sure I could make it worth your while.”</p><p>Harry pretended to think about it.</p><p>“This better not be a trick,” he said as he let her go.</p><p>Pansy took his cock, now almost painfully hard, in both hands and guided him to her. She got her revenge on him by rubbing the tip against her, but not letting him push in.</p><p>“I thought you didn’t like waiting,” Harry growled.</p><p>“I know, but now I’m second thoughts. I mean, do you really deserve to fuck me?”</p><p>“I believe your exact words were, ‘you can do anything you want to my body’.” He leaned in and whispered, “And I think we both know I held up my end of the bargain.”</p><p>“You’re sure you don’t want anything else? Well, if you insist…”</p><p>She let go and all at once, Harry was inside her.</p><p>Pansy groaned. “Yeah. Needed that.”</p><p>Harry had slid in easy, Pansy was so wet. Now he was moving on instinct reveling in the feel of her.</p><p>Pansy thrust against him and they found their rhythm.</p><p>“See how well we fit together?” Pansy said, but Harry was barely paying attention.</p><p>Pansy pulled him to her, kissing him as she ran her nails down his back. It stung and Harry was grateful for it. Anything to keep him focused on not finishing too quickly.</p><p>“You don’t have to be so gentle, you know,” she said, her lips close enough that they still brushed against him.</p><p>“Like that?”</p><p>Pansy scrunched up her face and nodded.</p><p>“Uh huh.” She let out a high pitched moan. “Just like that.”</p><p>Harry didn’t know how long they were at it. He was in heaven. But he couldn’t hold back forever.</p><p>“Cum with me,” Pansy groaned.</p><p>Unable to speak, Harry could only nod. He was close.</p><p>She was too, by the looks of it. One hand still on his back, her other hand was grasping, trying to find anything she could use to brace herself. Harry took it, lacing their fingers together.</p><p>Pansy’s eyes shot open and she looked up with an expression he couldn’t quite place.</p><p>Then she smiled at him. And, staring deep into each other’s eyes, they came. Harry felt like the feeling go on for ever as he poured into her.</p><p>Pansy screamed as her third orgasm of the day washed over her.</p><p>They stayed like that, catching their breath. With her eyes closed and an expression of dazed contentment on her face, Pansy looked positively spent. Harry felt like he was just getting started.</p><p>“That was incredible,” he said.</p><p>“You’re telling me,” Pansy said, beaming up at him.</p><p>Harry was about to bury his face in Pansy’s neck when her eyes went wide and she squeaked, gathering up a bundle of blankets to cover herself. Harry followed her gaze. The window shades were wide open. Harry was at the window in two steps and looked back and forth. No one was around.</p><p>Harry threw the blinds closed.</p><p>“Do you think anyone saw us?” Pansy asked.</p><p>“I don’t think so. Nothing we can do about it now.”</p><p>He crawled back in beside her, pulling her beside him.</p><p>“So...what do we do now?”</p><p>He kissed her neck, but Pansy pushed him away.</p><p>“I need a shower. So do you.”</p><p>She climber out of the bed. Harry’s disappointment at having her leave was someone abated by the sight of her naked rummaging around the closet until she found the bathrobes.</p><p>“Well, don’t get dressed on my account,” Harry said as he watched her pull on a robe.</p><p>Pansy rolled his eyes.</p><p>“You’re hopeless. Haven’t you had enough yet?”</p><p>Still, it was with an extra sway in her hips that she walked towards the door. She stopped before she opened it and looked over her shoulder.</p><p>“Well?” she demanded. “You’re not going to let me shower alone again, are you?”</p><p>She cackled as Harry scrambled out of bed, throwing him another robe and leaving him to catch up.</p><p>An hour and one long, hot shower in which neither of them managed to get clean later and the two of them were curled up once again in their room.</p><p>Pansy had slipped out of her robe the minute the door was closed and flopped down on the bed, demanding a massage in exchange for her now sore knees. That had been entirely her idea, Harry thought, but he wasn’t going to deny her anything. And he certainly wasn’t going to refuse to run his hands over her nude body.</p><p>So he rubbed her back, following her instructions until she’d relaxed so much, Harry thought she’d fallen asleep.</p><p>She’d surprised him by getting up and telling him it was his turn. It had been torture at first, her fingers coaxing nearly two decades of latent tension to his the front of his nerves. But as she continued the ministrations of her magic fingers, Harry wondered how he lived so long without experiencing this.</p><p>She’d laid down beside when she was done, snuggling up to him until he dutifully took her into his arms.</p><p>“Hey,” Harry said. He’d been thinking about the final leg of his trip. “Why don’t you come with me? You’re clever and you’re good in a fight. We could use someone like you. And don’t worry about Ron and Hermione. If you’re with me, they’ll be alright.”</p><p>Pansy lifted her head up from his chest.</p><p>“No. You come with me.”</p><p>And for a moment, Harry considered it. Leaving Britain behind and never thinking about Voldemort ever again. Dumbledore had said he had that a choice. And hadn’t he earned it? After all these years.</p><p>“I can’t. He’s not going to leave me alone until one of is dead. And Dumbledore left me the job. I have to see it through.”</p><p>Pansy pulled his head to face her, slipping her hand to the back of his head and pulling him into a slow, deep kiss.</p><p>“Then let’s just enjoy tonight and worry about the world tomorrow.”</p><p>Harry turned over and pulled her to him. Pansy’s arms found there way around them. They didn’t fuck. They didn’t even tease each other. Harry honestly didn’t think either of them had the energy left in them at that point, even if they wanted to too. Instead the took turns between kissing and resting.</p><p>“Harry?” Pansy said, pulling back from their latest round of kisses.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Promise me you won’t just take off in the morning. Promise me you’ll let me say goodbye.”</p><p>“Alright, I promise.”</p><p>Pansy smiled. “Don’t you dare break it.”</p><p>Somewhere in the midst of their kisses, they drifted off to sleep. Pansy went first, her lips still nearly touching his. Still holding her tight, Harry closed his eyes, his mind totally free from worry for the first time for as long as he could remembered.</p><p> </p><p>Harry woke up first, well-rested and with a smile on his face. Carefully extracting himself from Pansy, pulled on his pants and wandered to the door. He was reaching for the handle when he realized how it might look if Pansy woke up and found him missing.</p><p>He walked back over to the bed and shook the sleeping girl.</p><p>“Let me sleep!” Pansy whined groggily.</p><p>“I will. I’m just going to take a shower, but I’ll be right back.</p><p>“Hurry back.”</p><p>His duty done, Harry went to enjoy a nice hot shower, indulging himself in what was going to be his last one for a while.</p><p>When he finally pulled himself away back to the room, he found Pansy still curled up under the covers. He sat down beside her. Pansy rolled over and stretched.</p><p>“Hey you,” she said, opening her eyes.</p><p>“Morning.” He smiled back down at her.</p><p>“When does your train leave?”</p><p>Harry checked his watch. “About an hour.”</p><p>“I guess you’ll be leaving soon.” Pansy sat up, letting the sheet fall of her and exposing herself to him.</p><p>Harry nodded.</p><p>“And there’s no chance of you letting me talk you out it?”</p><p>“You know I can’t leave. I-”</p><p>Pansy shut up him with a kiss. She hugged his chest to her head when she was done.</p><p>“Then I won’t try and stop you. I’m just going to wish you good luck.”</p><p>Harry kissed her forehead. “See you around.”</p><p>“Promise?”</p><p>“Promise.”</p><p> </p><p>It was quick, if lonely walk Harry made to the train station. He confunded the clerk with confident ease.</p><p>The train was already there and boarding when he got his ticket. That was probably for the best, because as soon as he sat down in an empty compartment he was lost in thought. He was vaguely aware of people passing by him and of the stops, but not enough that it wasn’t a surprise when they finally arrived.</p><p>Ron and Hermione were waiting for him at the station. Hermione ran up and threw her arms around him as soon as she’d seen them and even Ron looked relieved.</p><p>They’d told him how they’d found a peaceful campsite that they’d been staying and how worried they’d been when he didn’t answer on his galleon.</p><p>Harry gave them an abridged version of his time looking for them. He’d left out Pansy entirely. They wouldn’t understand.</p><p>It wasn’t until days later, when he was absentmindedly playing with his galleon while whistling the tune Mr. Boucher had, that he’d founded a folded up piece of paper he was sure hadn’t been there earlier.</p><p>“When did she write this?” he muttered to himself, waving off Ron’s question. He still hadn’t told them about Pansy. Even if he hadn’t been with Ginny-even if they were broken up-he didn’t think they would understand.</p><p>Keep yourself alive. That was all she had written. She hadn’t even bothered to sign it. Still, he thought as folded it back up and placed it back in his pocket, it might have been the kindest thing she’d ever done for him.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t see her again for months. Not until he returned to Hogwarts to find the diadem.</p><p>“I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest… One hour…”</p><p>With his head still swimming with Snape’s memories, he hadn’t seen her as he walked down the stairs, nearly knocking her down as he went.</p><p>“Harry!” Her voice brought him back to reality. He only just caught her as she fell.</p><p>“Pansy? What are you doing back here?”</p><p>“I got caught.”</p><p>“Are you ok,” he asked. “They haven’t...they haven’t hurt you or anything.”</p><p>“No worse than anyone else. Pureblood privilege, I guess. What about you? I didn’t even know you were back until He made that announcement.” Her eyes widened. “Harry...tell me you’re not going to face Him.”</p><p>“I have to.” It was the only way. Dumbledore had seen to that.</p><p>“But you’re not just going to try to duel him. You have a plan, don’t you?” She was near hysterics and Harry wanted to hold her and tell her, yes, there was a plan. Well, one that didn’t involve him dying to kill the last bit of Voldemort’s soul tying him to earth.</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>Pansy held onto him for dear life, her cheek pressed against his chest.</p><p>“Run, Harry,” she pleaded. “Just run. I’ll think of something to tell them, just...please.”</p><p>Harry held her tight, kissing her forehead.</p><p>“I can’t. There’s another horcrux to take care of. One we didn’t know about. And it has to be me.”</p><p>He pulled her face so he could look her in the eye. “Hey. It’ll be alright, ok? It always is, isn’t it?”</p><p>Pansy wrapped her arms around his neck by way of answer, shoving him hard against the castle wall and pulling him into a deep, long kiss. Harry had to pull himself away, not trusting himself to leave if he got lost in her embrace.</p><p>He walked off, trying to avoid looking at her again, trying to avoid temptation. But Pansy wouldn’t have it.</p><p>“Harry.” He stopped, unable to keep himself from looking back. “Remember…”</p><p>He nodded. “I’ll do my best. You too.”</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>Sparing one last look, Harry turned and continued down the stairs to courtyard and towards his fate.</p><p>It was, after all, the only thing he could do.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So here it is, the first smut I've written this decade. And the first (publicly posted) smut in over 5 years.</p><p>This is the most musically inspired fic I've ever written (aside from one shameful fic over on Fanfiction.net (apologies both to  J.K. Rowling and David Bowie)). The initial inspiration for the story came from playing around with a line from the WWI song the "Mademoiselle from Armentières" ("You might forget the gas and shells/You'll never forget the mademoiselles") until I stumbled onto the summary and had to write a story to go with it. This is the tune Mr. Boucher and Harry whistle, added because I felt the song should be *somewhere* in the story. Thematically, it owes more to "'Heroes'" and, to a lesser extent, "Strangers When We Meet", both by David Bowie. Pansy's line, "You picked a hell of a way to die," comes from another war song, this one from WWII, called "Blood Upon The Risers". "We have all the time in the world" is from the song of the same name in On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Pansy's line about letting the tomorrow worry about itself is based on Simple Plan's "Take My Hand" and Pansy's note, "Keep yourself alive.," is a Queen song. I can't remember if her instance that Harry say goodbye was directly inspired by Juice Newton's take on "Angel of the Morning," but let's include it in there just to be safe.</p><p>One song it has nothing to do with is "The Year of the Cat," by Al Stewart, because I'd never heard until after I had the plot outlined in my head. You wouldn't know that listening to it, because it fits very well (except Harry would have stay with Pansy in the end).</p><p>For non-juke box references, "Don't make a big thing of it" is what Sundance says to Etta in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I'm certain "not for nothing was Harry the youngest seeker in a century" comes from the books, but I can't remember which. I think the witch using the wizard's wand for the birth control spell comes from one of chelsyb's fics. "You come with me"/"No, you come with me" probably was inspired by a similar scene in the Doctor Who movie, with Paul McGann. And of course I took Voldemort's one line from The Deathly Hallows.</p><p>It took me a lot of time to come up with a title for this story, which doesn't happen to me a lot. I eventually decided it had to be musical. "Three Nights in France", "Bittersweet Symphony", "'Heroes'", "Road Movie to France" and (among too many others to name or even remember) "The Safest Thing to Do" were all considered. Ultimately, I chose to base it off Three Dog Night's "Just an Old Fashion Love Song".</p><p>There's a lot of French in this story. I did my best to make sure it was either translated, understandable from context clues or not vital to understanding the story. A lot of you who do speak French are cringing, because I haven't taken French since high school, relying on translation software and what I remember (apologies to France). If anyone spots a mistake they want me to fix, I'd be happy to.</p><p>As much as I like Pansy's scheming, it's been fun her and over in Love and War to explore what she's like when she's not in complete control of her little corner of the world.</p><p>I considered ending this story when Harry found the note, but I wanted them to face the uncertain future and end on a more bittersweet note (for the characters; we know how the night ends). This is also why I nixed the idea of them running into each other shortly after Voldemort's defeat. Besides, I love a good Bolivian Army Ending.</p><p>I had a lot of fun writing this. One of these days, I'll write a full-blown Harry/Pansy war story. Today is not that day. There's also probably a story to be told about what happens to the characters next, but for once I don't have any ideas on that and I won't be writing it. If anyone else wants to explore that, I'd love to read it.</p><p>This commentary has dragged on long enough (almost as long as the story itself), so I'll end it here. Thank you for reading the story and double thanks if you made it to the end of my TL;DR notes. I hope you enjoyed it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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